Sabbath School Summary

By Elder Dr Masimba Mavaza

God’s Love of Justice

Lesson 6

Memory Text: “ ‘But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight’ says the Lord” (Jer. 9:24, NKJV).

Introduction
In the ancient Near East, the “gods” of the nations were not only fickle, immoral, and unpredictable, but they also commanded atrocities, such as child sacrifice. And even then, the pagan masses could not count on their favor, and so they dared not cross their tribal “deities.”
According to Deuteronomy 32:17, behind such “gods” were demons (see also 1 Cor. 10:20, 21). And their forms of worship were ripe for exploitation, leaving the people in great spiritual and moral darkness.
The God of the Bible could not be more different from these demonic forces. Yahweh is perfectly good and His character changeless. And it is only because of God’s constant goodness that we can have any hope, now and for eternity.
In stark contrast to the false gods of the ancient world, and even to the modern “gods” of today, as well, Yahweh is deeply concerned about evil, suffering, injustice, and oppression—all of which He constantly and unequivocally condemns. And, most important, He will one day eradicate them all, as well.

SABBATH:
God’s love of justice will end all the evils that His people have faced. He has ever been the friend of the poor & oppressed. In stark contrast, “gods” in the ancient Near East instilled fear & were immoral & unpredictable. Some even demanded child sacrifice (Deut. 32:17, 1 Cor. 10:20, 21). Bad men used the fear of these gods to exploit the masses & left them in spiritual darkness. Yahweh will one day wipe away all tears & evil/false gods, even “gods” of today.

Love and Justice

SUNDAY:
God loves justice. Better still, God’s love & justice are linked together. Due to His love, He is deeply concerned that righteousness & justice be done in this world to deal with the evil sin has caused (Ps. 33:5, Isa. 61:8, Jer. 9:24, Ps. 85:10, 89:14, Micah 6:8). The cry of the prophets martyred for their faith & the injustice done to the poor, widows, & vulnerable are all good reasons why God’s justice is needed. Righteousness & justice are pillars of His government.

God Is Entirely Good and Righteous

MONDAY:
God cannot lie, do evil or go against His promise. If we find a man who’s ever truthful, righteous, & faithful, we should follow & believe in him. God doesn’t just claim to love justice, He exemplifies it for us to be loving, just, & righteous (Deut. 32:4, Ps. 92:15; 25:8, 129:4, Zeph. 3:5). God knows & wants what is best for everyone. He always works for our good. He’s the “just judge” (Ps. 7:11, 5:4, 9:7, 8, 145:9-17, James 1:13, Hab. 1:3, Exod. 33:18, 19).

God’s Changeless Character

TUESDAY:
God is changeless. He was good in the past, is good in the present, & will be good in the future. His moral character is the same in all ages (Mal. 3:6, 7, James 1:7). The text in context tells us that the only “change” for God is His back-and-forth relationship with His creation. He takes back the sinner who repents. Constantly, He’s perfect, good, & not the source of evil (2 Tim. 2:13, Titus 1:2, Heb. 6:17, 18, 13:8). Trust that He’s the same God who died for us.

A Repenting God?

WEDNESDAY:
God does not relent. But there are Bible texts that speak of God as “repenting”/“relenting” (Exod. 32:14, Jer. 18:4-10). For humans, to repent is to know that you’ve done a wrong deed. Does this mean God can go wrong? It’s not so. The idea of God repenting or relenting has to do with His promise to accept His people back when they turn away from sin. God is not a man to lie or relent (Num. 23:19, 1 Sam. 15:29).

Hold Fast to Love and Justice

THURSDAY:
God’s character of love & goodness is clearly seen at the cross. At the appointed time, He sent Jesus to die for us & rescue us from sin. That’s, God can be trusted. He only gives good gifts to His people (Deut. 7:9, Rom. 3:25, 26; 5:8, Ps. 100:5, 89:2, James 1:17, Luke 11:11-13). God’s love is perfect. He’s full of mercy. He loves those who hate Him. Yet, mercy never overrides His justice (Matt. 5:43-48, Ps. 85:10, Hos. 12:6; Luke 11:42, Rom. 2:5, Rev. 15:3, 4; 19:1, 2). God will bring perfect justice!

Further Thought

FRIDAY:
God’s character is revealed through His infinite love and mercy, as shown when He declared His goodness to Moses. He is described as merciful, gracious, & slow to anger, delighting in mercy. Despite this, many perceive God as severe & unforgiving due to errors influenced by evil. Jesus came to dispel these misunderstandings by demonstrating God’s infinite love.

—Ellen G. White, “God’s Love for Man,” pp. 9–15, in Steps to Christ.

Keywords

God’s love & justice- True love requires justice, and true justice can be governed by and meted out only in love. We are not used to thinking of these two concepts together, but that is only because both love and justice have been greatly perverted by humanity.

God’s character- God cannot deny Himself; God never lies; and God’s promises are unbreakable.

Discussion Questions

📌 Why is it so important to recognize that God’s glory is bound up with His goodness? How does this correct a theology of glory that emphasizes sheer power without emphasizing the love and character of God?

📌 Have you ever questioned God’s goodness? Do you know anyone who has questioned God’s goodness because of the way those who claim to follow God sometimes act, or simply because of all the evil in the world? How did you work through that question for yourself, and how might you be able to help someone struggling with the question of God’s goodness? See next week’s lesson.

📌 In class, flesh out the answer to Monday’s question. How does the reality of the great controversy help us understand all the evil that exists now?

For February 1–7. Happy Sabbath & New Month!